Racist Text Sent to Students Nationwide Post-election

Following the Nov. elections, Black students across the country have received an influx of racist text messages from unknown sources, including students at Samo. As of Nov. 9, the messages have begun to target Latinx and LGBTQ+ students as well.

Many students at Samo have fallen victim to these messages and have taken great offense to them. Aubrielle Gomez (’26) was one student who received a racist text. A member of the Black community, Gomez was saddened and unsettled by the message. Gomez’s text alluded to slavery, telling her that the “executive slave was coming” and calling her to “report to the nearest plantation.” Other recipients were reportedly told that they had been selected for deportation or instructed to report to a re-education camp.

The untraceable messages quickly involved the FBI, which said in a statement on Nov. 7 that it was “aware of the offensive and racist text messages” and that it was coordinating with the Justice Department and other federal authorities to combat the issue and identify those responsible. It is still unclear who sent the messages—which were received in nine states—and there is no complete list of to whom they were delivered. Some of the texts appear to have been sent through TextNow, an app where messages can be sent anonymously through a burner number.

Solonia Allen (’26) was another Samo student who received a message and was similarly unsettled. Even more disturbing was the fact that Allen’s text contained her accurate home address, leading her to believe that the author of the message was someone with proximity to Samo. For Allen, the notion that someone within her local community could have been responsible was deeply saddening.

“[Receiving that text] made me sad that society would even do something like that,” Allen said. “It honestly made me not want to be an American.”

There is speculation that President-elect Donald Trump’s victory in the Nov. election spurred these messages, enabling people to vocalize and act on their controversial ideologies. National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) CEO Derrick Johnsson is of the opinion that electing a president that “embraces and at times encourages hate” is making people more willing to unveil their prejudice. Allen agreed, saying that she believes the election has played a part in this movement.

“I definitely think it’s [part of] a bigger agenda just because of the election. I think that they’re trying to rile people up and upset them,” Allen said.

SMMUSD Superintendent Dr. Antonio Shelton released a statement on Nov. 8 to address the issue, recommending that students advocate for themselves and reach out for support. 

“Targeting our students with racist messages is unfathomable.” Dr. Shelton said. “Whoever or whatever group started this campaign needs to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”